Match-testing apparatus.



F. VAN D. CRUSER.

MATCH TESTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 19l4.

Patented Sspt. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEETI F. VAN D. CHUSER.

MATCH TESTING APPARATUS.

APPLTCATION FILED ocnzs. 1914.

Patented Sept: 7', 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES.-

F. VAN D. CRUSER.

MATCH TESTING APPARATUS,

APPLICATION men OCT. 29 1914.

1 15239., Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

Fredemcm/fi Crows/y his site earn caries."

FREDERICK VAN DYKE CRUSER, OF BARBERTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DIAMOND MATCH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MATCH-TESTING- APPARATUS.

Application filed October 29, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK V. D. Causes, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Barber-ton, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Testing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for determining the frictional ignition sensitiveness or striking efliciencyof the composition comprising the heads of matches.

' The object of my invention is to provide a structure by means of which a specimen match can be effectually supported and its head subjected to rubbing friction closely approximating that resulting from the usual manual operation of striking a match, and this without liability of breaking the match splint.

In the present form of embodiment of my invention I employ a specimen-match holder which may be set to and released at various heights on a suitable post or standard, and I arrange yieldingly in the vertical path of the match tip an ignition surface with which such tip in its descent frictionally contacts at a predtermined pressure, the speed of the match when passing the plate being variable according to the distance of the drop.

My invention also comprises certain structural features of the match-holder and its supporting and regulating parts; the ignition element and means for yieldingly supporting the same; and means whereby the ignition element may be shifted to present a fresh striking surface to each specimen match subjected thereto.

My invention further comprises novel features of construction and operation which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, a speeimenmatch being indicated thereon. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus. Fig; 3 is a transverse horizontal section through the standard and match gripping head, as on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan of the apparatus, partly in section, as on the line 44: of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the staff and jointed support for the ignition strip holding'plate, as on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '7, 1915.

Serial No. 869,197.

thereon the latter being longitudinally channeled on its narrow edges to receive the vertical guide ribs 12 of a'U-shaped drop head 13. The front of this head isprovided with a pair of under-notched projections 14:,

which together constitute in effect a relatively fired gripping jaw. Fast on the head, immediately below the jaw, is a bracket case 15 in which a thumb latch piece 16 is slidingly fitted, being maintained normally raised by means of a confined spring 17. f

The upper end of the latch piece is formed with a pair of notched projections 18 which together constitute in eli'ect a movable gripping jaw complementary to the upper jaw.

Thus by pressing down the latch piece the jaws are opened to permit the placing of a speciment match (as a) horizontally therebetween, and then by releasing the latch the lower jaw, moving upward, grips the match stick against the upper jaw and holds the match rigidly in position with its ignitible head projecting beyond the standard, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 4.

Slidingly mounted on the standard 7 directly above the drop head 13, is a block 19 which may be temporarily secured by means of a set-screw 20 in any desired positionof vertical adjustment on the standard. This block serves as a distance stop to determine the height of the drop head. The block is provided with a plate 21 which depends in front of and serves as a positioning gage for the projecting match head. On one side of the block is a latch lever 21 the nose of which is held normally in the V ath of the drop head by meansof a suitab y-disposed spring 22; such head being conveniently provided with a lateral socket 523 into which the latch nose may be sprung in order to sustain the drop head. Pressure properly applied to the thumb piece of the latch lever releases the head and the latter then drops by gravity at such speed as the height of the latch block may determine.

Supported on the base is a casing .24. in-

eluding a top plate 25 which is fitted to slide transversely of the casing and at right angles to the plane of the match,.for a purpose presently explained; suitable guide pieces 26 for the slide being provided. Risstraddles the standard. The lower end of the "effect, a toggle lever.

link is provided with a rearwardly extending toe 30 which, contacting with a shoulder 31 on the frame 29, limits downward movement of the latter on its pivot but permits free upward swinging movement of the'frame. Affixed to the inner or free end of this frame, as by screws 32, is a depending plate 33. The vertical edges of this plate are embraced by the spaced channeled members 34 of a' clamp frame by means of which a strip of ignition or striking material 35 is detachably secured to the face of the plate; the members 34. being provided with suitably-disposed thumb screws 36 which bear against the opposing side of the plate,

and thus permit such members to be readily set to clamp or to release the ignition strip as desired. See Fig. 6.)

The link 28 and plate 33 constitute, in They are provided near their lower ends with outwardly extending rods 37, '38 equipped with adjustable weights 39, 40 respectively. These weights are slidingly'fitted upon the rods and are secured in position by set-screws 41. The weights are so relatively adjusted on their respective rods that the toggle joint is held in closed position with the ignition strip suspended a trifle out of the vertical, that is, with the lower end of the strip slightly advanced into the vertical path of the match tip. When the match-bearing head is released and dropped as above mentioned, the projecting tip of the match impinges against the opposing surface of the ignition strip, near the upper end of the latter. The toggle joint is thrown back slightly by the impact and the match passes downward with its head subjected to increased yielding pressure against the igniti'on surface. This rubbing action closely approximates that resulting from the usual manual operation of striking'a match. By adjusting the height of the distance block as above mentioned the speed of descent of the match-bearing head may be varied to determine the relative ignition sensitiveness of thematch heads as requirements may demand.

The burning match is released from the clamping jaws by depressing the thumb latch; a specimen match is inserted in the drop head, and the parts are reset for a succeeding testing operation.

If desired the link 28 and frame 29 may be rigidly connected so as to swing as a unit on the pivotal axis of the link at the top of the staff. I

The lower end of the plate 33 is preferably provided with an elongated socket 42 toreceive a guide pin 43 on an arm 44 extending from the slide 25 above referred to. This slide 25 is movable step-by-step, either backward or forward, in order that a fresh portion of the ignition surface thereon may be presented'to each specimen match. To this end the slide is provided on its underside with a gear rack 45 with which meshes a pinion 46 within the casing 24. The shaft 47 for the pinion has its bearings in the casing and also in an exterior bracket 48 on the base. The outer portion of the shaft is provided with two reversed ratchet wheels 49, 50 between which is mounted to swing on the shaft, a T-lever 51 having at the ends of its cross-arm two pivoted pawls 52, 53 respectively. These pawls are so disposed that when the lever 51 is thrown into the forwardly-projecting position indicated in Fig. 2, the lower pawl 52 is idle and the upper pawl 53may be engaged with the teeth of the outer ratchet wheel 49, and the latter thus by actuation of the lever can be advanced step by step correspondingly to turn the pinion and move the slide 25 forward, and that when the lever is thrown rearward to a reverse position the then lower pawl is inactive and the then upper pawl may be engaged with the teeth of the inner wheel 50, so that by actuation of the lever the latter wheel may be rotated step-by-step in a manner to turn the pinion and move the slide rearward.

Arranged on the base, forward and rearward of the ratchet wheels, are two hollow posts 54, 55 respectively, which are slotted at their upper ends to receive the arm of the lever. Each post contains a spring 56 which normally holds the opposing lever arm upward against the locking nose of a thumb-latch 57 which is pivoted to lugs on the side of the post, a suitably-disposed spring 58 bearing against the tail of the latch and holding the locking nose normally in active position. When the lever 51 is thus latched it may be readily oscillated, that is, it can be pressed down by hand against the opposing action of the supporting spring 56 and automatically raised by 1. A match testing machine comprising a standard, a drop head slidingly mounted thereon having means for supporting a specimen match substantially horizontal, means for temporarily locking said head at difierent heights on the standard, and means for supporting an ignition surface adjacent the downward path of the match head.

2. A match testing machine comprising a standard, a drop head slidingly mounted thereon having means for supporting a match substantially horizontal, a distance member on said standard having means for securing it in difierent positions of adjustment on the standard,mea ns for temporarily locking the drop head to said member, and means for supporting an ignition surface adjacent the downward path of the match ead.

3. In a match testing machine having a match support movable through a striking path, a member having an ignition surface in said path, a yielding support for said member, and adjustable means for said support to determine the active position of the said member and its ignition surface relatively to the striking path.

A. In a match testing machine having a match support movable through a vertical striking path, a depending member having an ignition surface in said path, a yielding support for said member, and means whereby said support may be laterally adjusted to move the lower end of the said member and its ignition surface transversely of said path.

5. In a match testing machine having a match support movable through a striking path, a member having an ignition surface in said path, jointed supporting means for said member, and means for adj ustably loading said supporting means to determine the active position of the said member and its ignition surface relatively to the striking path. I

6. A match testing machine comprising a standard, a drop head slidingly mounted thereon having means for supporting a specimen match substantially horizontal,

means for temporarily locking said head at different heights on the standard, a depending member having an ignition surface in the downward path of the match head, and a yielding support for said member.

7. A match testing machine comprising a standard, a drop head slidingly mounted thereon having means for supporting a specimen match substantially horizontal, means for temporarily locking said head at different heights on the standard, a depending member having an ignition surface in the downward path of the match head, j ointed connections for yieldingly supporting said member, and means whereby the lower edge of said member may be adjusted laterally in relation to the downward path of the match head.

8. In a match testing machine having a movable match support, a movable member having an ignition surface in the path of the thereon having means for supporting a specimen match substantially horizontal, means for temporarily locking said head at different heights on the standard, a depending member having an ignition surface in the downward path of the match head, and means for shifting said member whereby a fresh part of the surface thereon may be presented to such path.

10. In a match testing machine having a movable match support from which thehead end of the match projects, a movable member having an ignition surface in and longitudinally of the path of the match head, and means whereby said member may be gradually shifted to present a fresh part of the ignition surface to said path.

11. In a match testing machine having a match support movable through a striking path, a movable member having an ignition surface in said path, and gearing for periodically shifting said member, said gearing including reversed ratchets and a lever mounted to swing into oppositely-extending positions in respect to said ratchets and bearing spaced actuating pawls for the respective ratchets.

Signed in the city and county of Oswego, and State of New York this 26th day of October, A. D. 1914.

FREDERICK VAN DYKE CRUSER,

Witnesses:

W'. E. STAFFORD, C. K. LIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

